Third Westminster-Thurber tower to offer 68 apartments for seniors

Westminster-Thurber, the 48-year-old retirement community in the Harrison West neighborhood, plans to break ground next week on a third residential tower.

Jim Weiker, The Columbus Dispatch

Westminster-Thurber, the 48-year-old retirement community in the Harrison West neighborhood, plans to break ground next week on a third residential tower.

The eight-story tower, to be called Goodale Landing, will include 68 one- and two-bedroom apartments, along with parking, a community center and a rooftop terrace.

Goodale Landing will offer seven floor plans ranging from 1,140 to 1,890 square feet. The apartments will feature an open layout; a laundry room with washer, dryer and utility sink; 9-foot ceilings; a four-season sunroom; a balcony; a kitchen with pantry; and heated bathroom floors.

The new tower will connect through a corridor to the existing Westminster-Thurber facilities, which currently offer about 350 living units ranging from independent apartments to 24-hour nursing rooms for senior citizens.

The $30 million Goodale Landing project also includes new dining rooms and an indoor pool in existing Westminster-Thurber buildings.

Westminster-Thurber officials were “ecstatic” over response to the Goodale Landing project, which was announced early last year, said marketing director Joel Wrobbel.

All but six of the 68 units have been reserved, he said. Prospective tenants range in age from 63 to 87, with a median age of 73.

“They wanted an urban, walkable neighborhood,” Wrobbel said. “Here, they can walk to Clippers or Blue Jackets games, the Gallery Hop and the Short North.”

Monthly rent in the new apartments will range from $2,450 to $3,508, in addition to an entrance fee ranging from $175,000 to $305,000, depending on the size of unit.

Fees include access to dining facilities, a nurse, fitness and social programs, concierge services and transportation to community outings.

Officials hope to open the tower by October 2015 in time for the 50th anniversary of Westminster-Terrace’s original seven-story building at Neil and Collins avenues. A decade later, the retirement community purchased Thurber Tower apartment building to the south, prompting the community to change its name to Westminster-Thurber.

“We’ve seen the Short North grow up,” Wrobbel said. “Residents like that this is an urban environment but that it feels like a neighborhood.”

Westminster-Thurber is one of 11 retirement communities in the state owned and managed by the nonprofit Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services.